2026 Summer Reading Guide: Love Stories
The hero of summer reading! Every single year, the Love Stories category is far and away the most popular one on the whole Summer Reading Guide. And I’m right there with you.
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
This one is my #1 pick of this year’s Summer Reading Guide – I loved it so much! Single mom Dolly Brick returns to Rhode Island for the summer to help out her dad and, after a flat tire, agrees to a mutually beneficial arrangement with Stewart Whitfield (think Pretty Women minus anyone being a prostitute). But what starts as a convenience slowly turns into something neither of them expected. I had to go back and re-read nearly the whole thing immediately after I finished it.
One and Only by Maurene Goo
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that’s been this delightful! Cassia Park comes from a long line of matchmakers and she’s known the name of her fated love for years but can’t find him despite having a professional team on the lookout. As her 40th birthday approaches, she decides to act on her surprising connection with a much younger man and then, of course, she meets his boss – who is the man she’s been looking for for years. I blew through this one so fast!
Never With You by Kortney Keisel
Carly and Nate (coworkers who plan luxury incentive trips for companies) can’t stand each other – until a fake dating scheme meant to solve their personal problems turns into something unexpectedly real. This one is full of witty banter, travel chaos, and super fun, kissing only romance. I laughed out loud during this one and I never can resist a good fake-dating trope.
Casters and Crowns by Elizabeth Lowham
This one sat on my desk for months and I finally got the audio and it made the perfect listen! When princess Aria is cursed with just 100 days to live, she reluctantly teams up with a (very attractive) caster to break it, and while it starts a bit slow, it turns into a delightful fantasy read that I enjoyed so much I handed it over to my teen daughter after I finished.